The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19

Varakh caught up with the rider who was carrying the child to the witch. He caught up with him and…

“Vitor, I don't believe it, because I saw…”

What did you?

Kamiel Varakh was sure that Nik was not the son of Kors, and all the arguments that his former friend gave him couldn’t convince him. Because he saw with his own eyes something that left him in no doubt — Nik was not the son of Kors.

What did you see, Varakh? WHAT?

Kors remembered the morning at the inn near Prince Arel’s Estate, when Nik, Arel, and Lis had come for him. They needed the mercenaries that Kors brought with him, the victory of Lis depended on his soldiers.

And Kors at the beginning was glad that they came for him themselves. He was pleased, he longed to amuse his vanity and planned to make them long to persuade him. But things didn’t turn out the way he had hoped. Instead of begging and persuading, and preferably begging and kneeling down, Nik habitually impudent, as if he were under interrogation. Realizing perfectly well how much they need these soldiers and how important it is for him to agree with Kors, he didn’t ask for anything and behaved defiantly. Kors demanded that Nik take off his mask while talking to him, and when Nik, habitually snarling, nevertheless did so, Kors saw a “smile” painted on his face in black paint.

And how much it then pissed him off! It was Nik’s small revenge for Prince Arel, a reminder to Kors of his past. The shameful “smile” that went far beyond the contour of the lips, so bright on the white skin, still stood before Kors’ eyes, he had only to imagine it. At that moment, he barely restrained himself from hitting, throwing Nik out of the room. By some miracle he recollected himself and politely asked to wipe off the paint. Luckily, Nik stopped sneering and wiped off the dye. Kors remembered his pale, haggard face, “decorated” with tattoos and piercings. It was noticeable that Nik was seriously ill, his inflamed scar, roughly seized with iron staples, was frankly shocking.

It was disgusting, ugly, unacceptable. And Nik, noticeably stoned, wildish, ruffy, didn’t even think to humbly ask and try to enter into some kind of dialogue, but only snapped in stupid bravado. Kors was literally knocked off his stride by such disrespect and such inadequate behavior. Their whole conversation seemed to him complete absurdity. And Nick — and Kors knew it now — Nik was just teasing him a little in his usual style.

Kors smiled sadly. Yes, from the very beginning of their acquaintance, Nik didn’t value him at all, but still… in exchange for the army, he let him talk with his son. Kors also remembered this conversation very well:

.“But the way you move, what's wrong with your arm?”

“The same as with the leg, something is broken, I don’t know. I was very rudely and hastily dragged out of your wife, Inness. The witch told, they pulled by the arm, by the leg, twisted something, damaged it. She said, they thought that they had killed her, and, upset, they also threw her away from themselves onto the floor, like a useless thing

So Varakh caught up with this red one and saw that the baby was crippled? And didn’t tell Kors about it, and? What next? Did he leave the child in the woods? No, this is absurd! Firstly, Varakh at that time was a young warrior, he didn’t know anything about babies. He was not a doctor to understand whether a baby was ill or not. And he would never have been able to leave it there, he would have brought it to Kors. He would have brought anyone, anyone… only if… only if he wasn’t dead! Only this reason could force Varakh to remain silent, so as not to upset his friend even more. Varakh thought that the child had died? He was so sure Nik couldn’t be Kors’ son. Why was he so sure of this?

Why was Varakh ardently proving this to him? Because he saw Kors’ son dead? But he could be wrong! So what? Even if he decided for himself that the baby was dead, did he leave a lifeless body there on the road? Did he bury him under a bush? No, Varakh would never do that. And Nik is the son of Kors, Kors is sure of this by some inner instinct. He just knows it, and it doesn’t require any proof. Nik is his son. He looks like Inness, looks like himself, so much so that Zagpeace noticed this similarity, and the difference in hair and eye color didn’t interfere with it. Nik and Karina are like brother and sister.

The son said to him: